Drop-in anchors are fasteners used to attach items to concrete or masonry surfaces. They consist of a hollow sleeve with an expandable skirt, an expansion plug, and a thread attachment. A suitable hole is drilled, and the anchor is inserted and expanded using a tool. They are easy to install and can carry considerable loads. They are used in domestic and industrial applications and come in various designs.
A drop-in anchor is part of the family of fasteners used to attach a variety of decorative, utility, or construction items to concrete or masonry surfaces. It consists of a hollow sleeve which has a grooved and expandable skirt at one end, an internal expansion plug and a thread attachment at the other end. To use the drop-in anchor, a suitable hole is first drilled into the concrete surface and the drop-in anchor is inserted into the skirt end of the hole first. A specially designed expander tool expands the grooved skirt to grip the sides of the hole tightly. You can then screw a set of fasteners into the anchor to secure the related accessory.
Drop-in anchoring is one of the simplest and easiest to apply concrete and masonry fastening systems available. The only structural intervention required is a suitably sized hole drilled in the masonry or concrete. Drop-in anchors possess fairly high levels of structural integrity and can carry considerable loads, especially when applied to vertical surfaces. In domestic applications, they can be used to secure gutters, pipes, flower pots, hanger brackets and planters to concrete walls and ceilings. Industrial uses of drop-in anchoring include fire hose attachments, cable trays, signage, and drop ceiling grilles.
Drop-in anchors consist of a hollow carbon steel tube that has a series of slots cut lengthwise from one end to form an expandable skirt. The tube is cut with a length of wire at the other end to accept a bolt. Inside the tube above the slots is a tapered, movable expanding dowel which serves to force the tabs between the slots outward to lock the anchor in place. The tube may have a lip at the threaded end to support anchoring at the edge of the mounting hole. Pipes are usually galvanized to discourage corrosion.
Installing a drop-in anchor is a fairly quick and easy process that requires only the anchor, an appropriately sized masonry drill bit, hammer drill, and anchor expansion tool. Once the site for the anchor has been established and marked out, a hole is drilled slightly deeper than the length of the anchor. It is important to ensure that the drill bit is the correct diameter because an oversized hole will affect the load carrying capacity of the anchor. Once the hole has been completely cleared of drilling debris, the anchor is simply “dropped” into the hole with the threaded end facing the mouth of the hole. If the anchor is a little snug, it can be hammered into place using a mallet or hammer.
Once in place, the expansion or setup tool is used to drive the expansion plug into the bottom of the pipe. This forces the tabs on the splined skirt to expand and grip the walls of the hole tightly. The friction holds the plug in place and keeps the anchors locked in the hole. A suitable bolt is screwed into the anchor to secure the desired accessory. Drop-in anchors come in a variety of designs, including standard hex head bolts, eye bolts, hose clamps, and hooks.
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